Governance

Unsettled designs: India's regulators, tribunals need deeper reform

Supreme Court's recent judgment continues a three-decade cycle of invalidations; a regulatory reset is overdue

A new phase of policymaking emerges with committee-led governance

The government has also succeeded in conveying a message that it is sharply focused on reforms that improve the ease of doing business

To truly transform governance, reforms must ask 'why' certain rules exist

Asking why is a powerful tool for meaningful reform. It sparks critical thinking and challenges outdated assumptions

Ladakh witnessing unprecedented growth with focus on modern governance: L-G

The Union Territory of Ladakh is witnessing unprecedented growth with focus on modern governance, renewable energy and people-centric development, Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta said on Sunday. Addressing the Lead Impact Conclave here, he said education, health, and tourism remain the foremost priorities of his administration. Ladakh has witnessed unprecedented growth since becoming a Union Territory (in 2019), with the administration committed to sustainable and inclusive governance, Gupta said. The LG said Ladakh's transformation reflects its focus on renewable energy adoption, paperless governance, and modern administrative reforms, making it a model for other states and Union territories. Our endeavour is to ensure that Ladakh becomes a benchmark of balanced development, where economic progress is pursued in harmony with our cultural values and sensitive ecosystem, he said. Gupta said his administration is committed to provide quality education, strengthen healthcare ...

KRBL orders third-party review after director's exit over governance issues

KRBL Ltd, a major basmati rice producer and owner of the India Gate brand, on Monday said its board has ordered an independent review following the resignation of independent director Anil Kumar Chaudhary, who raised multiple corporate governance concerns. In a filing to stock exchanges, the company said separate meetings of independent directors and the board were convened on Monday to discuss the observations made by Chaudhary in his resignation letter dated September 8. Chaudhary stepped down with immediate effect on September 8, saying he could no longer contribute meaningfully to the board due to what he called a culture where "dissent is suppressed or sidelined." In his resignation letter, the independent director detailed concerns, including inconsistencies in board meeting minutes, information being withheld from directors, unjustified write-offs of export receivables, misuse of CSR funds, arbitrary pay decisions, major changes to company objectives made without proper ...

Serving vs ruling in a democracy: Rethinking attitudes to governance

Indeed, this is a Perry moment for India, but it is unlikely to be the last - unless we fundamentally rethink governance and adopt jana seva attitude toward citizens. Are people being ruled or served

CAG, Janaagraha sign MoU to strengthen ULG finances, digital audits

The five-year non-financial partnership aims to improve transparency, audit quality, and financial management in India's urban local governments through digital reforms

MSMEs show strong sustainability gains but lag in governance: SPeX

/ -- Dun & Bradstreet, a leading global provider of business decisioning data and analytics, along with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), has released the Sustainability Perception Index (SPeX), for January-March 2025 period. The SPeX, (also known as the 'Green Pulse Indicator') evaluates perception of sustainability of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across three dimensions: willingness, awareness, and implementation. The SPeX rose by 14.7% quarter-on-quarter to reach 69 in Q1 2025, marking its highest level in the past 10 quarters. All three dimensionsAwareness (+20%), Willingness (+17%), and Implementation (+2%) increased from Q4 2024, each reaching their highest levels in the last 10 quarters. Dr. Arun Singh, Global Chief Economist, Dun & Bradstreet, said, "MSMEs have made remarkable strides in their sustainability journey, with awareness, willingness and implementation reaching record highs in Q1 2025 since we started tracking in Q4 2022. ...

Centre unveils portal to boost gender budgeting across ministries, states

Gender budget allocation increased by 4.5 times from Rs. 0.98 lakh crore in 2014-15 to Rs 4.49 lakh crore in 2025-26, WCD minister says

No deputy speaker in eight state assemblies, says think tank report

Amid a debate over the absence of a deputy speaker in the Lok Sabha, data compiled by a think tank shows eight state assemblies not having anyone in the position, with Jharkhand not electing one for more than 20 years. According to a report on the Annual Review of State Laws, 2024, released by PRS Legislative Research, state assemblies sat for an average of 20 days, amounting to an average of 100 hours in total, last year. Article 178 of the Constitution requires state assemblies to choose two members as speaker and deputy speaker as soon as possible, according to the report. Assemblies of eight states and Union territories did not have a deputy speaker as of April 2025, the think tank said in the report. The list includes Jharkhand, which has not elected a deputy speaker for more than 20 years. While the previous Uttar Pradesh Assembly elected a deputy speaker in its last session, the current assembly, which is three years into its term, has not yet elected one. "The Constitutio

PRAGATI meeting: PM Modi reviews 8 projects worth Rs 90,000 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reviewed eight development projects spread across the country and costing around Rs 90,000 crore as he chaired the 46th edition of PRAGATI meeting. During the meeting, Modi also reviewed grievance redressal related to Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and directed that all ministries and departments should ensure that the identification of beneficiaries is done strictly through biometrics-based Aadhaar authentication or verification, an official statement said. PRAGATI is a multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, involving the Centre and state governments. According to the statement, the eight significant projects included three road projects, two projects each of railways and port, shipping and waterways. Modi also directed to explore the potential for integrating additional programmes into the PM Matru Vandana Yojana, specifically those aimed at promoting child care, improving health and hygiene practic

Reforming corporate regulatory agencies under MCA to boost governance

Regulators under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs need reform to match the empowerment and autonomy of financial sector regulators

Kerala rolls out 'K-Smart' in panchayats to make govt services accessible

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Governance becomes meaningful only when everyone experiences its benefits and that K-Smart is an effort to realise this vision

Historic mandates reflect BJP's good governance agenda, says PM Modi

On the foundation day of the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the people are seeing the good governance agenda of the party, which is also reflected in the historic mandates it received in the years gone by. "Greetings to all BJP Karyakartas on the Party's Sthapana Diwas.We recall all those who devoted themselves to strengthening our Party over the last several decades," Modi said in a series of posts on X. This important day makes us reiterate our unparalleled commitment to work towards India's progress and realise the dream of a Viksit Bharat, he said. "The people of India are seeing the good governance agenda of our Party, which is also reflected in the historic mandates we've received in the years gone by, be it in the Lok Sabha elections, Assembly elections across different states and various local body polls across the nation," the prime minister said. "Our Governments will continue serving society and ensuring all-round development. My best wishes to all our

Nose in, fingers out: The board's mandate to avoid governance lapses

It is fundamentally bad governance to be on both the "buy" and "sell" sides at the same time

Localising politics and power must be a global governance priority

The world, India included, must push power to the lowest levels of governance to avoid popular alienation from the political process

BJP focuses on proactive governance that works at grassroot: Jitendra Singh

The BJP believes in proactive governance that works at the grassroots level and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government remains steadfast in resolving public issues at their doorsteps, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. Singh was speaking at a public darbaar in the Hiaranagar town of Kathua district, which is part of his Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency. He met public delegations to personally listen to their concerns. Several issues were resolved on the spot, an official spokesperson said. The event, aimed at bringing government services directly to the people, was attended by various local representatives and district administration officials, led by Deputy Commissioner (Kathua) Rakesh Manhas, the spokesperson added. Singh interacted with several public delegations, addressing a wide range of concerns faced by the residents of Hiranagar and surrounding areas. "The government's approach has always been to bring solutions to the people rather than asking them t

Global crises demand a new governance model beyond nation-states

Our international institutions simply are not designed to address systemic issues indifferent to national borders

India's governance spends are lower than US, emerging market peers

Health has lowest share of paid public-sector employment, while education's share stands at 30%

Karnataka tops the list; UP jumps 10 places in local governance performance

The report has measured the performance of states in improving the condition of governance in local bodies in various parameters